While New Jersey’s Real Estate might get lumped in with the current trend of surf-inflected indie rock, their hypnotic guitar interplay and nostalgic musings on lost youth seem better suited for wind-beaten autumn and winter shorelines rather than sunny climes. The likable lo-fi shimmer of their 2008 self-titled debut carries over somewhat to Days, but there’s a noticeable increase in polish. Sometimes higher production value can betray a band, but here the extra glimmer is an asset rather than a hindrance. Days kicks off with “Easy,” a charming midtempo number about the sobering realizations of growing up. This sense of suburban ennui, which more or less pervades the entire album, is extended on “Green Aisles,” on which Martin Courtney understatedly sings “All those wasted miles/All those aimless drives through green aisles/Our careless lifestyles/It was not so unwise.” Next is the addictive “It’s Real,” the album’s most uptempo tune, which manages to be both accessible and introspective. Elsewhere, bassist Alex Bleeker lends his lower-register vocals to lost-love ditty “Wonder Years,” on which he proclaims “No, I’m not okay, but I guess I’m doing fine.” Then there’s the Fleetwood Mac-reminiscent lushness of previously-released 7-inch “Out Of Tune,” which remains one of the band’s strongest songs. The aforementioned Courtney and Matthew Mondanile (also known by his solo moniker Ducktails) seem to have an unspoken understanding of what needs to be played. Their symbiotic guitar riffs are even further enhanced by Bleeker’s driving basslines. Many writers struggle to adequately categorize a band’s sound. Assign whatever genre buzzword you’d like to Real Estate’s music: psychedelic surf-pop, chillwave.. whatever. I’ll just call it one of my favorite albums of 2011. — Capt. Obvious

Listen:

Green Aisles.mp3

Its Real.mp3